Vending mechanism.



G. W. GOMBER.

VENDING MECHANISM.

APPUCATION FILED NOV.9. 19w

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

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. VENDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION HLED NOVQ, 1917.

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G. W. GOMBER.

VENDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED N079, IQII.

1,297,677. I Patented Mar. 18,1919.

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U TED s'r 'rns PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. GOMBER, F CONYNGI-IAM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 STANDARDAUTO- MA'IIC MACHINE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONOF DELAWARE.

. citizen of the United States, residing at Conyngham, in the county ofLuzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulVending Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to vending mechanism designed moreparticularly for vending cigars, but capable of use for vending otherarticles. The object of the inven-v tion is to provide a mechanism,especially for vending cigars, wherein the liability of bunching. oroverrunning of the cigars is avoided and but one cigar is released at atime on each operation of the mechanism.

The vending apparatus may be operated by coin-controlled mechanism suchas shown and described in another application, Serial No. 201,128, filedby me on even date herewith for coincontrolled mechanism for vendingmachines.

In accordance with the invention, the cigars remain in the box, and thelatter with the cigars is placed in the vending machine, one end of thebox being removed, and the box is slanted or tipped in a manner to causethe cigars to gravitate through the open end of the box. In the path ofthe cigars there are arranged associated belts so mounted that at eachvending operation the belts are caused to reciprocate, thereby agitatingand feeding the cigars toward the delivery end of the machine, thispreventing either bunching of the cigars or the feeding of the cigarsmore rapidly than intended.

Furthermore, holding devices are provided whereby but one cigar at atime can reach the discharge end of the machine.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with thefurther understanding that, while the drawings show a practical form ofthe invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity withSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 9, 1917. Serial No. 201,129.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section about midway of the breadth of thevending portion of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2, with the casingin longitudinal section and some of the parts omitted;

Fig. 4 is a front end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referringto the drawings, there is shown a vending apparatus A and acoin-controlled apparatus B, which latter, in its detailed construction,does not enter into the present invention but is shown and described inthe aforesaid application, and consequently no particular description ofthe coin-controlled part of the apparatus is given.

The structure A is provided with side walls 1 which may be made of sheetmetal or otherwise constructed, and each side wall has a marginal flange2 which may be attached to or form part of the side walls and serve tostiffen and strengthen the side walls. The walls 1 are secured togetherin spaced relation by rods or bars 3 at intervals, thus forming asufficiently rigid sustaining structure for parts to be described.Extending diagonally upward from what may be termed the front end of thevending apparatus to the rear end thereof is a partition or platform 4designed to support a box of cigars. The shelf 4 has longitudinal slots5 therethrough near its lower endand transverse slots 6' therethrough athigher points, the slots 6 being above a rod 7 mounted in and extendingbetween the side walls 1. 'Mounted on the rod 7 so as to slidelongitudinally thereon are brackets 8 each terminating at one end in anarm 9 rising through a corresponding slot 6 and carrying above theplatform 4 a plate 10 constituting a clamp plate for holding a box ofcigars so that when thebox of cigarsis resting on the platform 4, it isclamped between the two plates 10. To improve the clamping efi'ect, eachplate 10 has, at what constitutes its lower end, an upstanding wing 11inset toward the other plate. On the rod 7 midway between the side walls1 there is a stop member 12 held in place by a screw 13, from whichlatter there extend springs 14 to the brackets 8. The springs 14 holdthe brackets against the stop members but will yield to pressure appliedto the plates 10 tending to separate them.

Extending between and mounted in the plates 1 are shafts 15 and 16 andalso extending between the sides 1 and mounted therein are other shafts17 and'18. Secured to the shaft 15 on opposite sides of the longitudinalcenter line of the vending machine are segmental pulleys 19, each formedof'an appropriately shaped piece of sheet metal made fast to the shaft15 by screws 1 20 or otherwise. Secured to the shaft 16 by screws 21 areother segmental pulleys 22 corresponding to the pulleys 19 and ofsomewhat greater circumferential extent. The pulleys 19 are alined withthe corresponding pulleys Each pair of pulleys 19 and 22 carries a band23 of webbing or other suitable flexible material, with one end providedwith a reinforcement 24 having an opening whereby it may be secured overa screw or pin 25 on the pulley 19, while the "other end of the band ismade fast in a clip 26engaiged over the corresponding extremity of thepulley segment 22.

The shaft 17 carries pulley segments 27 "and the shaft 18 carries pulleysegments 28 beneath the shelf or partition 4 and these pulleysegmentscarry belts or webs 29 simi lar to the webs '23 and similarly secured tothe "respective pulley segments. The ar- 30 r'angem'ent is such that thebelts 29 project through the longitudinal slots 5 and are arrangedimmediately beneath the belts 23, with the pulley segments 27immediately "under but spaced from the pulley segments '22.

' The belts23 are upright, and the belts 29 are nearly horizontal,sloping downwardly from that portion of the machine where the 1 box ofcigars is to be lodged so that the higher'endsof the belts 29 underliethe open end of the box.

The s'haft'lo projects through one side wall 1 and is there providedwith a crank arm 30. The shaft 16 projects through the same side wall 1and is there provided with rock arm 31 extending on both sides of theaXis of rocking. The'arm 30 and one end of the arm 31 are connectedtogether by a link 32, so that the two shafts rock simultaneously, andas the connected portions of the arms 30 and 31 are of the same lengththese twofshafts rock to the same extent.

The sh aft 17 'proj ects beyond the face plate '1' similarly to theshafts 15 and 16 and there 5 carries a lever 33 having at one end an arm34 in the path of which there is a pin 35 on the free end of a rock arm'36 carried by a shaft 37 mounted in and extending between theside'plates 1, and also immediately over the pulleysegments 22.- Fast tothe shaft 37 is a finger 38 having a terminal bent portion 39 shaped toengage'and holda cigar rolling down the partition or platform 4 "near"the discharge end thereof. At such discharge end the partition-'" t -ispro id'ed.

with spaced slots 40 through which normally extend terminal portions 41of angle arms or r'o'ds 42carried at their other ends upon a shaft 43extendin tetween'theside walls H 1 andthrough the same side wall as theshaft 17, where the shaft 43 has fast thereto an arm 44 carrying at itsfree end a pm 45 1n the path of an arm 46 extendingfrom' the leveradjacentto its connection with the 34, and this arm'49 is connectedbya'l-i nk 50 to a bracket 51 on a pushbar 52 f'orm ing part of the coinlock B and constituting the flexible operating r'nen'rbeifof the"structure. The link '50; vi l'ierecon'nected to'the arm' 49, has a loop53 to constitute a lost motion connection.

That and of thearm 31 remetefrom the link 32 is'cOnneCte'd by a link 5-4to thenrm '46, and the arm 36 is underTthe 'control' of a spring5'5'connected to one or the walls 1.

The shafts 17 and 18*"each'havea pin 56 projecting from and'fast"thereto, and these pins are connected attheir free ends' 'b'y a link 57.

One of the rods 3 connecting the side walls land located above and nearthe delivery endof the shelf 4 carries "fingers 58 oyer- "riding that'po'rtion "of the shelf-ovefiwhich cigars must't'r'a'vel' from the bo'iftd'the point 0f 'c'lelive'ry.

When the ush bar 52 i's' operated'from the position shown in Fig. 1;that is, when it is mo ed toward the leftas viewed i-n'Fig.

1, the lever '33 is 'rockedin a manner to carry the arm seaward; the'righ't, this il'iovement "rocking the shafts -15 "and 16 clockwiseand'the' shafts 17 and 18 "also clockwise. 'The result ofthe'semovements is' that the belt on 'web '23 inoves "down- 5 iva'i'c'lly andtoward the l'eft, while the belt 29' moves toward the 'right, bothasviewed in Fig.2. At'theend' of the movement; the

arm 46 engages the pin 45, thus "rocking the shaft 43 's'ufficientl to'move the ends 41 of thearms" orrods 42 out ofthe path of a cigarpreviously lodged against theends '41, "and l the cigar "promptlygravitates to the discharge endof the machine. The move- -"'ments'' ofthe belts '23a1id 29, which' -ai'e' in opposite directions 'so' far asthe cigars are concerned, tend to roll the cigars and there- "by avoidany liability of the cigars'elogging "o'r j ammingQ The "foremostcigar-1 toward the discharge end can. eseapei bnt tefore'thisfise occursthe release of the arm 36 by the arm 3A causes a movement of the finger38 into the path of the released cigar, thus holding the latter fromfurther movement so long as the ends 41 of the arms 42 are out of thepath of the oncoming cigar. l/Vhen the parts return to the firstposition, as occurs When the operating bar is released to move into themachine, the extremities 41 of the arms 42 reach a position to preventthe escape of the cigar before the cigar is released by the finger 38.

By providing one set of belts in an upright position and the other setof belts in a position approximating the horizontal, the cigars,.withthe exception of one or two about to be discharged, are free, and yetevery time the device is operated all those cigars adjacent to thedischarge end of the machine are agitated. The result of this is thatany tendency of the cigars to jam or clog is prevented.

What is claimed is:

1. A vending machine for cigars and the like provided with reciprocatoryagitating belts arranged at an angle one to the other, carriers for thebelts, and lever and link connections between the carriers for causingmovements thereof in timed relation.

2. A vending machine for cigars and the like provided with a shelf orpartition having slots therethrough, belts extending through the slots,and rockable carriers for the belts, the shelf constituting a supportfor the cigars and the belts constituting agitating means for thecigars.

3. A vending machine for cigars and the like provided with associatedreciprocatory agitating belts, each belt having a support comprisingspaced pulley segments to which the belts are made fast at the ends ofthe segments remote from each other, and lever and link connectionsbetween the pulley seg ments.

4. A vending machine having feeding means for delivering the articles tobe vended including spaced rock shafts, pulley segments on the shafts,belts connecting like pulley segments and fast thereto, and con nectionsbetween the shafts for causing them to rock simultaneously to likeextents.

5. A vending machine for cigars and the like provided with a shelf orpartition having slots therethrough, rock shafts beneath andtransversely of the shelf, pulley segments on the rock shaftsregistering with the slots, belts connecting the pulley segments andprojecting through the slots, other shafts above the shelf transverselythereof and located over corresponding ones of the first-named pulleys,and belts connecting the second-named pulleys and having substantiallyupright runs.

6. A vending machine for cigars and the like provided with a shelf orpartition hav ing slots therethrough, rock shafts beneath andtransversely of the shelf, pulley seg ments on the rock shaftsregistering with the slots, belts connecting the pulley segments andprojecting through the slots, other shafts above the shelf transverselythereof and located over corresponding ones of the first-named pulleys,and belts connecting the second-named pulleys and having substantiallyupright runs, and interconnections between the shafts for causing thefirst and second-named belts to reciprocate simultaneously in oppositedirections.

7. A vending machine for cigars and the like provided with a portionalong which the cigars may gravitate to the delivery end of the machine,reciprocatory stop means movable into and out of the path of the cigarsapproaching the discharge end of the machine, reciprocatory holdingmeans movable into and out of the path of a cigar approaching the stopmeans, the holding means engaging the cigar when the stop means arewithdrawn from such path, agitating means for the cigars for deliveringthem one at a time to the holding means, and operating means havingconnections to the agitating, stop and holding means for causing theoperation of said means in timed relation to deliver the cigars one at atime.

'8. A vending machine for cigars and the like having an inclinedplatform for supporting a box of cigars, rockable holding means forcigars, reciprocatory webs extending through the platform and having alike inclination, other reciprocatory webs in superposed spaced relationto the lower ends of the first-named webs and extending in an uprightdirection, and operating means for causing the reciprocation of thefirst and second-named webs in opposite directions, the release of acigar held by the holding means, and the holding of the next cigar inorder, the parts all being timed to operate in proper sequence.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. GOMBER.

Witnesses MABEL C. HAUSER, C. W. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

